CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A Scrum Master is working with a team that has a Product Owner who frequently changes priorities mid-Sprint, causing the Developers to switch tasks and leave work unfinished. The Scrum Master wants to protect the Sprint Goal while maintaining a good relationship with the Product Owner. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is choosing a directive or punitive response, such as telling Developers to ignore the Product Owner, instead of coaching the Product Owner on Scrum principles.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of the Sprint Goal and help them understand that changes that endanger it should be deferred to the next Sprint.
The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner on the value of the Sprint Goal and the negative impact of mid-Sprint priority changes. By helping the Product Owner understand that changes endangering the Sprint Goal should be deferred, the Scrum Master protects the team's focus while maintaining collaboration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of the Sprint Goal and help them understand that changes that endanger it should be deferred to the next Sprint.
Why this is correct
This action addresses the root cause by helping the Product Owner understand how mid-Sprint changes undermine the Sprint Goal and team focus. It preserves the relationship and reinforces Scrum principles. The Scrum Master facilitates this understanding rather than imposing rules, which is more likely to lead to sustainable change.
- ✗
Suggest that the team abandon the Sprint Goal and instead respond to whatever the Product Owner requests each day.
Why it's wrong here
Abandoning the Sprint Goal removes the team's shared objective and makes it impossible to measure progress or adapt effectively. Scrum relies on a Sprint Goal to provide focus and coherence. This approach would increase chaos and reduce predictability, which is the opposite of what the Scrum Master should aim for.
- ✗
Ask the Developers to work overtime to accommodate both the original Sprint Goal and the new priorities.
Why it's wrong here
Working overtime is not a sustainable solution and does not address the underlying issue of unstable priorities. It may lead to burnout and lower quality. The Scrum Master should focus on protecting the team's focus and helping the Product Owner understand the impact of changes, not on squeezing more hours from the Developers.
- ✗
Instruct the Developers to ignore any requests from the Product Owner that are not in the Sprint Backlog.
Why it's wrong here
Telling the Developers to ignore the Product Owner creates an adversarial relationship and does not address the Product Owner's behavior. The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner on the purpose of the Sprint Goal and the impact of mid-Sprint changes, not simply block communication. Ignoring requests may also miss legitimate clarifications.
About these practice questions
This CSM question is part of Courseiva's 312-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CSM exam.